The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, originally envisioned as a new landmark for the city’s South Side, has hit back at claims of mismanagement from President Donald Trump.
Despite the Obama Foundation’s optimistic public updates, the project has faced major cost overruns, construction disputes and criticism from Trump.
Newsweek contacted the Obama Foundation for comment on this story via email.
The Context
The delay and ballooning budget have made the project a flashpoint. The center’s cost has nearly doubled from its original estimate and is now projected at close to $1 billion. The Obama Foundation has said that the project is privately funded and does not rely on taxpayer dollars.
What To Know
In a statement on Tuesday, the Obama Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to the center’s vision, saying on X (formerly Twitter): “We can’t wait to open our doors to the Obama Presidential Center next spring!
“In addition to a world-class museum, the 19.3-acre campus will feature a gymnasium, a fruit and vegetable garden, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground, and so much more.”
The Obama Foundation’s official updates say that work has proceeded to close the exterior of the main building, install glass and granite, and fit interior windows on museum levels. Additional insulation has been completed in other structures.
However, Trump weighed in on the project during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, calling the project a “disaster,” sharply criticizing its management and blaming “woke” hiring practices for its issues.
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In response, the Obama Foundation pushed back on the president’s remarks.
“Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world,” Emily Bittner, the foundation’s vice president of communications, said in a statement to Newsweek.
“We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas’ legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders.”
The foundation also responded to the suggestion from Trump that work on the project had “stopped,” saying that the president’s characterization was not based on fact, and that it was instead a minor dispute between subcontractors that did not directly involve the foundation.
The center was first announced with a budget of around $500 million. However, in 2022, the project cost had increased to about $830 million.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday: “I mean look, President Obama—and if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I build on time and on budget—he’s building his presidential library in Chicago. It’s a disaster. And he said something to the effect, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke.’
“He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns; the job is stopped. I don’t know, it’s a disaster.”
What’s Next
The Obama Foundation says work will continue at pace to ready the site for public visitors in 2026.
